Ingredients

Step by step

1. With the beef still wrapped in the string, use a sharp knife to carefully criss-cross the fat on the surface. Rub the beef with the salt, rolling it around to make sure every surface of the meat is covered – add a little more salt if needed. Place a wire rack over a baking tray and put the meat on top. Transfer to your fridge, uncovered, overnight and up to 12 hours.
2. The morning of your Sunday lunch, make the Yorkshire pudding batter. Combine the flour with a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, milk and 150ml cold water in a large jug. Gradually whisk into the dry ingredients until smooth, then transfer back to the jug. Cover loosely with clingfilm, transfer to the fridge and leave to rest for at least 5 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Remove the beef from the fridge an hour before cooking. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. If your pan isn’t large enough, use a roasting tray across the stove burners. Add the meat, fat-side down, and sear for 3 minutes until golden brown, then repeat on each side for 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Set the drained fat aside. Add the shallots and herbs to the pan, tossing in the fat. Place the beef on top, fat-side up, and season with sea salt flakes and black pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 35 minutes for medium-rare (if your joint is larger, it’s approximately 10 minutes per 500g). If you have a cook’s digital temperature probe, the internal temperature should be about 55°C in the thickest part (or 60°C for medium and 70°C for well done). Transfer the beef to a large deep tray, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
4. While the beef rests, return to the Yorkshire puddings. Remove the jug of batter from the fridge and give it a whisk. Strain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the beef pan and combine with the previously reserved fat. Set the pan, with the roasted shallots and herbs still in it, aside for the gravy. Top up the reserved beef fat with the vegetable oil until you have 100ml total. Using a 12-hole muffin tin, add 2½ teaspoons of the beef fat mixture into each hole. Transfer to the oven and increase the heat to 230°C, fan 210°C, gas 8, leaving the tin in the oven for 15 minutes until hot. Carefully remove the tin from the oven and fill each hole a little over halfway with the batter – you might find you have extra leftover. The batter should sizzle on contact with the oil. Immediately transfer the tin to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the tray around, quickly, and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.
5. While the Yorkshire puddings cook, make the gravy. Return to the pan with the shallots and herbs and place over a medium heat. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine, cooking the flour out for a few minutes. Gradually whisk in the beef stock, continuing until smooth. Whisk in the juices from the rested beef and simmer for approximately 5 minutes until lightly thickened. It will continue to thicken when off the heat. Season to taste.
6. Serve the Yorkshire puddings with slices of beef, the gravy and steamed green veg.

Serve with

Ultimate Sunday Roast sides